Transposition of the great vessels prevention

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editors-In-Chief: Priyamvada Singh, M.B.B.S. [2]; Cafer Zorkun, M.D., Ph.D. [3]; Keri Shafer, M.D. [4]; Assistant Editor(s)-In-Chief: Kristin Feeney, B.S. [5]

Transposition of the great vessels Microchapters
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Overview
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Dextro-transposition of the great arteries
L-transposition of the great arteries
Pathophysiology
Causes
Differentiating Transposition of the great vessels from other Diseases
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Overview

The development of a fetal heart starts during the first trimester of pregnancy. Thus, many a times the fetal heart has already developed, by the time the female becomes aware of being pregnant.

Prevention

General

The development of a fetal heart starts during the first trimester of pregnancy. Thus, many a times the fetal heart has already developed, by the time the female becomes aware of being pregnant. Some steps taken before and during pregnancy that can help in preventing the congenital heart diseases are as follow-

• All females planning for pregnancy should start taking folate (400micrograms/day) on daily basis. This is so because, the birth defects occur most commonly during first trimester of pregnancy even before the female is aware of being pregnant.
• Ensuring the female has proper immunity against Rubella (before getting pregnant).
• Ensure proper and complete treatment of upper respiratory tract infections.
• Avoid viral infections
• Avoid intravenous drug abuse
• Medications like lithium, anti-acne drugs (retinoic acid) and anti-epileptic therapy
• Avoid alcohol
• Strong chemicals (solvents)
• X-rays

Specific

• Women with some diseases like diabetes, seizures etc should consult their physicians before and during pregnancy for special management strategies for these diseases to prevent the occurrence of congenital heart diseases.
• Females with phenylketonuria may need to follow a special phenylketoneuric diet before pregnancy and during the first trimester.
• Genetic counselling can be offered to parents who have previous history of a child with birth defect or with family history.